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[wxWidgets.git] / docs / publicity / announce.txt
1 Announcing wxWidgets 2.6.1: a cross-platform GUI toolkit
2 ----------------------------------------------------------------
3
4 June 5th, 2005 -- the wxWidgets team is pleased to announce
5 a new official release of the mature cross-platform C++
6 application framework.
7
8 The following platforms are supported:
9
10 - Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP
11 - Windows CE, including Pocket PC 2003 and Smartphone 2003
12 - Linux/Unix/VMS with GTK+ 1.x and 2.0
13 - Linux/Unix with X11 (beta)
14 - Linux/Unix with Motif/Lesstif
15 - Mac OS 9.x and 10.2 and above using Carbon
16 - Mac OS 10.x using Cocoa (beta)
17 - OS/2 (beta)
18 - MGL for Linux and DOS
19 - Palm OS (alpha)
20
21 A non-GUI subset of wxWidgets called wxBase is also supported
22 on most of these platforms.
23
24 To get wxWidgets, go to the Download page at:
25
26 http://www.wxwidgets.org
27
28 Since 2.4.2, we have added support for Windows Mobile devices,
29 enhanced GTK+ 2 support, radically overhauled the Mac OS X port,
30 replaced the build system with Bakefile, added better
31 integration with STL, and added a CppUnit-based test suite.
32 Other changes include sizer improvements, new Gnome printing
33 features, ODBC enhancements such as BLOB support and Unicode
34 support on Windows, wxTaskBarIcon support on Mac OS X and Linux
35 as well as Windows, top-level windows can have arbitrary shapes,
36 images can have alpha channels, plus many API enhancements and
37 bug fixes to existing classes. New classes include
38 wxVScrolledWindow, wxVListBox, wxHtmlListbox,
39 wxPropertySheetDialog, wxGridBagSizer, wxMediaCtrl,
40 wxDatePickerCtrl, wxArchiveInputStream/wxArchiveOutputStream
41 (including zip archive read/write support), wxListbook,
42 wxChoicebook, wxDebugReport, and more.
43
44 *** About wxWidgets
45
46 wxWidgets is a comprehensive open-source, multi-platform C++ GUI
47 framework, that can be used to build commercial and free
48 software. First released in 1992 under the name wxWindows, it's
49 increasingly used by organisations and individuals all over the
50 world due to its winning combination of sophistication, wide
51 platform coverage, ease of use, unrestrictive licence and
52 vibrant user community.
53
54 For most ports, wxWidgets adopts the native look and feel of
55 each platform since it uses the native widget sets. There is also
56 a generic widget set, used for example by the wxX11 port - no
57 other widget set is required, giving the potential for embedded
58 use.
59
60 An extraordinary range of classes is provided - but don't be put
61 off by this because most people find wxWidgets easier to learn
62 and use than MFC and other frameworks.
63
64 As well as comprehensive support for the usual widgets, advanced
65 features include: HTML viewing/printing, wxImage class providing
66 handlers for reading and writing many image types, resizeable panels
67 and dialogs on all platforms, document/view, OpenGL support,
68 HTML-based and context-sensitive help, wizards, drag and drop,
69 a grid class, ODBC support, threads, sockets, container classes,
70 a styled text control, and much more. A 2,000-page reference manual
71 is provided in HTML, MS HTML Help, WinHelp, wxWidgets Help and PDF
72 formats, and there are over eighty samples and demos.
73
74 If you're an MFC user, you'll find many wxWidgets concepts
75 reassuringly familiar, while often clearer and more consistent.
76 If you're not, you should still find it intuitive from the start.
77
78 wxWidgets bindings for several other languages are available,
79 including Python, Perl, Basic, Lua, JavaScript and Eiffel.
80
81 If you're considering wxWidgets, do check out some of these links:
82
83 http://www.wxwidgets.org/feedback.htm ; Comments from users
84 http://www.wxwidgets.org/screensh.htm ; Screenshots
85 http://www.wxwidgets.org/users.htm ; A list of some of our
86 ; users
87
88 Have fun!
89
90 The wxWidgets team
91